The Richardson House

Richardson House. Historic Preservation Office. www.historicspokane.org

Richardson House
1226 North Summit Boulevard, Spokane, WA
Private Residence

Charles Prentice Richardson, a successful gold miner originally from Illinois, had this American Foursquare Style home built in 1906.  The American Foursquare Style is typified by the many horizontal lines and a very low pitched roof, as well as the simple box shape of the Richardson House. 

Charles Richardson struck gold after buying the Moose Creek Placer Mine in Idaho. Charles, his wife Frances, and their two daughters Annice and Katherine, toiled at the mine together until they decided to move to the city in 1906. With the hard earned wealth that came from the gold, they were able to hire the renowned architect William Wallace Hyslop to build their house on Summit Boulevard. W. W. Hyslop designed several well-known Spokane buildings including the Folsom House at 528 E. 14th Ave, and the Marlboro Apartments at 180 S. Cannon St., as well as many others. W. W. Hyslop was originally from Minnesota, but became a well-respected architect in Spokane because his designs were “particularly innovative in style, quality, and durability” according to HistoricSpokane.org.

The Richardsons didn’t stay put for long. Just two years after their house was built, the family moved to Oregon. The house then passed through several owners, some of whom altered the appearance to suit their needs. The most outstanding addition came in 1912 with a carriage house built behind the house. The owners at the time, Charles and Ninah Jackson, owned the Jackson & Walter Real Estate Company. The two structures, though built by different architects, complement each other in style. The carriage house (which is now used as a garage) features the same attractive horizontal lines and low roof as the main house.